Grey County (Canada) Warns of Tax-related E-mail Scam

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) of Ontario, Canada's Grey County, has alerted the County's residents of an e-mail scam, which has emerged locally.

The scam is going on just when 2009 tax packages have been announced. The e-mails in the scam pose as though they have been sent by the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) of the Government of Canada.

A typical e-mail tells the recipient that he is to get a tax reimbursement. It also indicates the exact amount of the refund.

But a user who clicks on a given web-link will find enquiries for details to help in the processing of the refund. The details comprise full name of the e-mail recipient, the maiden name of his mother, his residence phone number, address, birth date, debit or credit card number, card security number, card expiry date, and/or PIN for ATM.

Steve Starr, Media Relations Officer for Grey County, states that this ongoing e-mail scam intends to steal consumers' personal information for subsequent use in defrauding operations, as reported by Bluemountainscourierherald on March 8, 2010.

According to Starr, the tactic used in the scam is called "phishing."

According to the CRA, people are advised not to reply to these e-mails. This will help them to prevent becoming victims of the scam. Actually, the Agency recommended everyone receiving the fraudulent e-mails to delete them immediately.

Besides, CRA states that it knows about the scam, and has posted specimens of the e-mails on its authorized website. Accordingly, it suggests that people go through them to know how such messages appear. In addition, the CRA says that to prevent further harm from the e-mails, it has adopted measures for disabling the phishing web-links embedded on a few of the messages.

Anyone getting such messages may send them to the Phonebusters website so that CRA can trace their original senders.

Finally, the CRA reiterates to taxpayers not only across Grey County but also the rest of Canada that the Agency won't ever contact them through e-mail as seen in this scam.

» SPAMfighter News - 17-03-2010

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